Island



(No. Model.)

G. W. PRENTIGE.

Lacing Button.

3 No. 237,127. 7 Patented Feb. 1,1881.

'' WITNESSES. I INVEJVZOR g Amine, fiwxo vwfiwmwwi J, KWMI Q SM2 WM -Z N- m, MNLITMOGRAPNER, WASHINGYONI D. C.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LACING- BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,127, dated February 1, 1881. Application filed December 2, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PRENTIGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence,in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacing-Buttons; and 1 do h ereby declare the follo win g to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form v a part of this specification;

My invention relates to an improved construction of lacing hooks or buttons designed for attachment to boots, shoes, or other articles of apparel; and it consists of a lacing-v hook formed of a single piece of round or other suitable shaped wire, the one end of which is bent in the form of a hook, or shaped into a suitable head by proper dies, while the opposite end is split and formed into a flat table or plate with fastening-prongs bent at right angles thereto, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my complete device; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, and Figs. 3 and 4 detail views thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures.

My present invention is composed of a lacing-hook having an enlarged head portion or hook, a, an intermediate neck, 11, fasteningplate 0, and connecting-prongs d, the whole being formed of a single piece of round, flat, or other suitable shaped wire possessing the requisite degree of strength and thickness.

In the construction of my improved device the lower part of the wire is split vertically to about its center, so as to form, with the split portions, the table or plate 0 and the fasteningprongs d, which are bent at right angles thereto, while the upper solid and unsplit portion of the wire is bent-into the form of a hook, at,

having a curved intermediate neck, b, around which the shoe-string is passed during the operation of lacing the shoe. The hook portion a is adapted to be swaged or formed into a coiWeXo concaved head or other preferred shape by suitable dies employed for such purposes.

The fastening-prongs d are preferably made of a wedge shape, or tapering from the plate 0 to the point of the prongs, thereby enabling the same to readily penetrate the material to which the lacing-hook is to be attached, as also to en able the thinned portion of the prongs to be turned back into the material by the setting-instrument employed for such purposes, so as to present a smooth surface on the under side of the said material.

By means of my present improvements I am enabled to furnish a lacing-hook which possesses greater strength than has been heretofore accomplished in devices of a kindred nature, while at the same time a great savingin the stock, as usually employed, is effected. there being little or no Waste of the wire used in the construction of the present device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, the hereinbefore-described lacing-hook, consisting of the enlarged head portion or hook at, the intermediate neck 12, fastening-plate c, and connecting-prongs d, the whole being formed of a single piece of round or other suitable shaped wire, all constructed substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A lacing-hook formed of a single piece of wire, the lower portion whereof is split vertically to form the plate 0 and con nectin g-pron gs 11, while the upper unsplit portion is bent. so as to form the hook or head a. and intermediate neck b, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. PRENTIOE.

Witnesses:

G. S. SWEETLAND, GEORGE E. LEONARD. 

